While privately-owned courier companies providing similar services are doing a good business, the state-run DPS has been left virtually paralyzed due to prolonged government apathy toward filling vacant positions.[break]
Officials at DPS said over 30 percent of the vacancies have remained vacant as most government personnel shy away from working under this department.
Altogether 3,256 out of the total of 9,952 vacancies under DPS have remained vacant for years because of the tendency of personnel to avoid working at post offices.
Diwakar Devkota, DPS Director, complained that those passing the Public Service Commission examinations do not choose to work at the postal service department. And even if they are posted there they will use all means possible to get transferred to other ´lucrative´ departments or ministries.
DPS has under it the General Post Office, four regional postal directorates, 70 district post offices, 842 area post offices and 3,074 supplementary post offices.
Officials said only eight second class gazetted officers and 76 third class officers are currently serving under DPS out of the total staffing levels of 18 and 122 officers for the two categories respectively. Worse still, the positions of 100 non-gazetted first class and 908 non-gazetted second class personnel, who are supposed to run local level post offices, have remained vacant for years.
There are a total of 312 vacancies for non-gazetted first class (nayab subba-level) and 1,579 non-gazetted second class (kharidar-level) employees under DPS.
What has miffed DPS officials the most is the failure of the Ministry of General Administration to depute personnel to the post offices. “Over 40 third class gazetted officers who passed the Public Service Commission examination recently are currently training at the Staff College,” said Sharada Prasad Poudel, an officer at DPS. “We know that not even one of them will choose to be posted to the postal service department.”
Officials said the situation was aggravated by the Voluntary Retirement Scheme introduced by the Maoist-led government. Altogether 742 personnel had chosen to retire under the scheme. “We are surprised how our offices keep functioning given the number of positions left vacant for years,” added Devkota, who has been with DPS for a long time.
The absence of a large number of personnel from DPS has not only affected regular work at post offices but also posed a problem in introducing modern facilities at those offices.
“There is neither any initiative on the part of the government to improve the postal service nor do senior personnel serving here have any motivation to that end as they only look to get transferred to other departments or ministries,” said an official at DPS.
While the government investments Rs 1.25 billion every year in the post offices, these generate an annual income only about Rs 250 million on average. “The government should either enable the post offices to offer modern services similar to those provided by private sector courier companies or scrap this loss making undertaking,” the official added.
Officials complained that the post offices come under least priority even though the government designates them an ´essential service´. “Why would the government care since no one comes in front of our offices to burn tires even when we run them during bandas?” asked Director Devkota sarcastically.
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